Who needs to have a health check

What a health check is

A health check is an assessment of your child’s physical health. It includes their height, weight, hearing, sight and general wellbeing. It ensures your child is healthy, fit and ready to learn when they start school.

Your child can have a health check from when they turn 3.

Requirements vary in each state and territory.

State or territory

Health checks that meet the FTB Part A requirements

ACT

A health check on a child who’s 3 to 3 and a half. You can find details in the Personal Health Record, sometimes called the Blue Book.

A general health check on your child after they turn 3 provided by your local General Practitioner (GP).

NSW

A health check on a child who’s 3 to 4. You can find details in the Personal Health Record called My First Health Record.

A general health check on your child after they turn 3 provided by your local GP.

NT

A health check on a child who’s 3 to 4 under the Healthy Under 5 Kids Program.

A general health check on your child after they turn 3, provided by your local GP.

A compulsory health check done under the NT emergency response.

Qld

A health check on a child who’s 3 to 3 and a half or 4 to 5. You can find details in the Personal Health Record, sometimes called the Red Book.

A general health check on your child after they turn 3, provided by your local GP.

SA

A health check on a child who’s 3 or a pre-school check on a child who’s 4. You can find details in Child Health Record, sometimes called the Blue Book.

A general health check on your child after they turn 3, provided by your local GP.

Tas

A health check on a child who’s 3 and a half, completed by Tasmanian family and child health nurses.

A general health check on your child after they turn 3, provided by your local GP.

Vic

A health check on a child who’s 3 and a half, completed by Victorian maternal and child health nurses.

A general health check on your child after they turn 3, provided by your local GP.

WA

A general health check on your child after they turn 3, provided by your local GP.

If we withhold your FTB Part A supplement, you’ll have 1 year to tell us you’ve completed a health check. This year starts from the end of the financial year that your child turned 4. If your child turned 4 in the 2017-18 financial year, you have until 30 June 2019 to tell us.

If you're eligible, we’ll pay you the FTB Part A supplement amount we withheld.

Example

Blake’s child turned 4 in the 2017-18 financial year. Blake has until 30 June 2019 to tell us that she’s done a health check.

If your child turned 4 on or after 1 July 2018

We may reduce your FTB Part A payments for your child, if by the time they turn 5:

they haven’t had a health check, or

you haven’t told us they’ve had a health check

We’ll contact you if your child isn’t meeting the requirements. We’ll let you know what you need to do before we reduce your payments.

Your FTB Part A payments may reduce by up to $28.28 for the 2018-19 financial year. This amount is subject to an annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase.